I certainly don’t seek to read novels about zombies. On the other hand, I loved the 2009 movie Zombieland. It’s nice popcorn, and that’s a good thing to watch on cable. IMHO.

John Ringo is a prolific author that writes military sci-fi. He’s written several series that I have enjoyed: notably, the Posleen War series (dealing with the aftermath of an alien invasion), and the Empire of Man series (dealing with a fighting force marooned on a planet that has to fight to get home).

My favorite series, though, is the Paladin of Shadows series, which features a James Bond/Rambo type hero that saves the US from a nuclear attack … and then fulfills a lot of contemporary fantasies in the 2006 novel, Kildar. The hero, Mike Jenkins, avenges 9/11 by single-handedly ending another terrorist plot, rescuing the victims and avenging their pain by killing the plot leader, a prominent terrorist leader in the Mideast.

His new series may just become my new favorite, however. It follows a family as they work to survive a zombie apocalypse. A disease is created by some unknown group; the result of that disease is an infected population that attacks anything that moves.

There is no known cure to the disease, and it is a blood born pathogen, so a bite by a zombie creates another zombie. The zombies aren’t dead, so we’re not dealing with Thriller zombies … but a feral, biting human attacking other humans is zombie enough for me.

The first novel, Under A Graveyard Sky, starts with two brothers that actually have a plan for what they’ll do if society is going to crash. They’ve got code words, even. Suddenly, you’ve got one brother working to save his corporate bosses, while the other brother is working to save his wife and their two teen-aged daughters while sailing up the Hudson River to avoid the crazed attackers that are taking over Manhattan.

The second novel follows the family as they decide to make a difference, and work to rebuild society.

I’m not a fan of post apocalyptic literature … but do love a great read.

I’m not a fan of military literature … but do love a great read.

That’s what you get here. Both of these books are page turners. They are laugh out loud funny at times. Ringo’s dialogue from female teenagers is spot on. His dialogue from arrogant, self-entitled jerks is spot on.

The action in these novels just doesn’t stop. Get yourself a glass of your favorite bourbon, put some rock ‘n roll on the stereo, and settle in. This is a good ride.

The third novel, Islands of Rage and Hope, is due in August. Can’t wait!

It was first proclaimed a national monument in 1978, then established as a national park and preserve in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. The park includes many streams and lakes vital to the Bristol Bay salmon fishery, including its namesake Lake Clark.

It Happened Here:

During the 20th century the future park area was lightly populated by people with a high tolerance for solitude. One such person was Richard Proenneke, a former Iowan who came to Alaska in 1949. Proenneke lived at Twin Lakes from 1968 to 1999 in a cabin he built himself, feeding himself through subsistence hunting and by salvaging meat from animals left by sport hunters. A compilation of movie footage shot by Proenneke of his life in the wild was compiled as a documentary, Alone in the Wilderness. Produced posthumously, it has become popular on public television in the United States. Proenneke’s cabin is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Size: 4,030,015 acres

# Visitors: This lightly attended Park had only 13,000 visitors in 2013.

The Lake Clark area is special for its diversity of flowers, plants, trees, and lichen in a relatively small area. Four of the five biotic communities found in Alaska – coastal, lakes/rivers/wetlands, tundra, and forest – exist in the park.

Lake Clark is home to a full complement of subarctic wildlife species. Land mammals include brown and black bears, moose, the Mulchatna caribou herd that numbers more than 100,000, Dall sheep and wolves. Harbor seals, beluga whales, Steller’s sea lions and sea otters are seen along the coast while the rivers and lakes feature outstanding fishing for salmon, Arctic char, Arctic grayling, Dolly Varden, northern pike, lake trout, and rainbow trout.

Fees: There are no fees to enter or camp in the Park. If you’re going into the back country, there is a voluntary form that the Park requests you fill out.

Staying There: There are private lodges within the Park boundary, but there are no improved campsites in the Park.

Don’t Miss This: If you’re going into the back country, make sure you are familiar with the principles of Leave No Trace. Here is how it’s explained by the Boy Scouts of America. How wild is this Park? From Gorp.com:

For the self-sufficient adventurer, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is a paradise found. It’s a wild land in which—unlike many other national parks—no “improvements” to nature have been made. All camping is primitive and there is only one maintained hiking trail.

A cool aerial photo of one of Alaska’s many volcanoes, Iliamna. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 12/11/13.

Sunrise, January 25, 2014. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 1/26/14.

From the Park’s Facebook page.

You are looking at the lowest point of Telaquana Pass (elevation 3,100 ft) from the west side. This passage was one of the Dena’ina travel/trade routes, given the name: Dilah Vena Tustes. Dilah=fish swim in. Vena=lake. Tustes=pass. Nowadays, only a very few extreme adventurers trek thru this pass. From the Park’s Facebook page.

From the Park’s Facebook page.

From the Park’s Facebook page.

Kenibuna Lake in the foreground, which is located on the NE boundary of the Park. At this junction, the Neacola River enters on the left side of photo, leading to Telaquana Pass. The drainage on the right is the Igitna River. In between those two is the Another River drainage heading to Merrill Pass. From the Park’s Facebook page.

American Dipper (or Water Ouzel) Their song is a beautiful sound to hear, especially in winter. The only songbird we know that is able to “fly” underwater for its preferred food — up to 3” fish. One of the special adaptations it has is the pictured white nicitating membrane (or 3rd eyelid) that can cover the eye to keep out debris. These birds are able to forage on the bottom of streams where the fast moving current is too strong for people to stand! From the Park’s Facebook page.

From the Park’s Facebook page.

From the Park’s Facebook page.

From the Park’s Facebook page.

From the Park’s Facebook page.

From the Park’s Facebook page.

From the Park’s Facebook page.

From the Park’s Facebook page.

From the Park’s Facebook page.

From the Park’s Facebook page.

Moose cow eating fireweed. From the Park’s Facebook page.

From the Park’s Facebook page.

A wolverine, fishing. From the Park’s Facebook page.

From the Park’s Facebook page.

Amanita muscaria, also known more commonly as fly agaric. It’s quite toxic. From the Park’s Facebook page.

Black Bear. From the Park’s website.

Red Fox. From the Park’s website.

Bull Caribou. From the Park’s website.

From the Park’s website.

Lake Clark NP 33 Wild ice views of Telaquana Lake in the Lake Clark National Park on 2/24/14. Posted by the US Department of the Interior on Tumblr, 2/27/14.

I was working in the garage workshop last weekend, and a neighbor wanted to hire me to redo her kitchen.

I’ve ignored it. Always.

Until now.

Given that Mrs M’s Handmade is about to be an actual business, it seemed that I needed to help out. In a week or three, the website will be up. In a month, we’ll be at the Santa Clarita Street Fair.

So, it was time to get ready.

22 Cheese Boards are now ready for sale. All of the boards are approximately 8″ x 10″. All are unique. The most prevalent wood is hard maple, but I’ve also used purpleheart, yellowheart, red oak, cherry, walnut, mahogany, teak, padauk, jatoba and honey locust. They are all finished with mineral oil, and then a beeswax/mineral oil topcoat.

Like this:

The United States Congress designated the Cadiz Dunes Wilderness in 1994 and it now has a total of 19,935 acres. All of this wilderness is located in California and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 2/18/14.